Darjeeling witnessed a clear sky on Thursday. But the iron bridge over the yawning gap on Lebong Cart Road was a grim reminder of the heavy rain earlier this week that triggered the landslide and the cave-in. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Sept. 29: The Darjeeling district administration has invited people to come up with logos, slogans and a mascot for the tourism festival in December, a reminder that the hills were determined to get back to normal after the four-year-old agitation ended with the formation of the GTA.

Raju Pradhan, the working president of the organising committee of the fest, said: “We have kept aside Rs 15,000 for the competitions and we are inviting every interested individual to come up with a logo, slogan and a mascot for the festival.”

He added that participants can start sending their entries from tomorrow and the last date for submission is October 10. Logos, slogans and images of the mascot can be sent either through emails at darjfest@gmail.com or by post to Thupden Lama, the deputy magistrate, at the Darjeeling district magistrate’s office.

The 15-day Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival will be held in Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and Darjeeling, from December 20 to January 5 simultaneously .

“The mascot for the festival will be a red panda and people will have to use their creativity to make the (image of the) mascot. The person whose mascot is selected will be awarded Rs 5,000. Similarly, the person whose one-line slogan (tag line) is selected will also get Rs 5,000 and the same amount has been kept aside for the logo winner,” said Pradhan.

According to the organisers, the details of the festival are being worked out and there are plans to bring in performers from across the country.

“We want to project the festival as an international event and we are working towards maintaining a very high standard in terms of performance,” said Pradhan.

Apart from getting a taste of adventure sports like paragliding and a trip on hot airballons, the visitors can enjoy flower shows, cultural dances, photography exhibitions and an exhibition on the Gorkha regiment.

They can also participate in the Darjeeling run and land rover rallies.

The organisers will also arrange for different activities in the tea gardens and well-known personalities from the hill town would be felicitated during the fest.

“We are working to make the festival a one-of-its-kind event and are working to create a theme song for the event,” said Sonam Bhutia, the deputy magistrate and a member of the organising committee.